What the West Wind Saw
by wildcat7898
Summary: Two months after Uhura's transfer to the Lexington, she and Spock meet on Gamma Cygnus for a visit with Saavik. This is part 1 of "Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite," and it takes place after "The Flame Within."
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite 1, What the West Wind Saw

Author: Wildcat

Series: TOS

Rating: M

Codes: S/U, Saavik

Summary: Two months after Uhura's transfer to the Lexington, she and Spock meet on Gamma Cygnus for a visit with Saavik. This takes place after the events described in the following stories:

A Woman's Touch

The Taste of Snow

Almost a Kiss

You Could Even Say She Glows

The Flame Within

This is part one of Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and company. I have just borrowed them for a while, and I will not profit from any of this.

Also, thanks to the immortal Claude Debussy for his piano prelude, 'Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest,' from which I took the title.

"Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite won 1st place for "Best S/U Story," 3rd place for "Best TOS Story" and Honorable Mention for "Best Overall Story" in the 1998 Golden O Awards. This particular story also tied with "Dialogue of the Wind and Sea" for 1st place "Spock Romance" in the 1998 ASC Awards.

Feedback is desired.

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 1

"Are we there yet?"

Spock glanced over at Saavik, who sat next to him in the front of the flitter. She could hardly remain still, but he did not comment on her lack of proper decorum. Indeed, he was experiencing a rather un-Vulcan sense of anticipation, himself.

"No, Saavikam. Even if the traffic were not heavy, we would not reach the spaceport for another sixteen point three minutes. As it is, I cannot predict the exact time of our arrival."

Saavik turned toward the little girl sitting in the back seat.

"You will like Nyota, Elizabeth. She is very pretty. And smart! She told me once that when I come aboard the Enterprise someday, I can call anyone I wish. I will have to ask her if I may call someone from the Lexington instead. If she agrees, I will call you!" Saavik paused for a moment. "What are you eating?"

The voice that came from the vicinity of the back seat was muffled, presumably by a mouthful of food.

"I found a box of chocolate-covered graham crackers under the seat. Want one? They melted a little bit in the sun, but they're not too bad."

Saavik reached back, but when Spock saw the gooey parcel exchange hands, he frowned. "Saavik! Surely you do not intend to eat that."

She placed the whole thing in her mouth. Talking around it, she asked, "Why not?"

The voice from the back seat piped up. "They're good! Do you want one?"

Turning around briefly, he saw that Elizabeth's mouth and fingers were covered with chocolate.

"No thank you, Elizabeth, and I would prefer that you and Saavik do not eat them, either. They are much too sticky. Your mother will be displeased with all of us if you get chocolate on the seats of her flitter."

Saavik held out her hand for another. "We eat in here all of the time. Margaret does not mind."

"That's right! Mommy doesn't mind. She eats them, too."

Spock changed tactics. "You will not wish to greet Nyota in such disarray."

Elizabeth leaned forward. "We'll clean up before we get there. It'll be okay."

Nodding wisely, Saavik said, "Yes, it will be okay. Are we there yet?"

"No, Saavikam. Only two point eight minutes have elapsed since you last-" He was interrupted by the sound of something landing on the floor behind him.

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"Oops. Spock, Mommy keeps napkins under the front seat. Can you hand me some?"

Deciding that he would prefer not to know the details of what had happened, he rummaged under his seat until he had located the napkins, and handed them back without comment. He sighed in defeat as the girls continued to crunch on their snack.

...

Trying her best not to actually lean across the person seated next to her, Uhura peered out the window of the shuttle. There it was! The spaceport. It was nestled securely in the middle of what appeared to be a congested city. The sun reflected off flitters as they swooped and circled below, and the buildings were relentless, tall and shiny and sterile everywhere she looked. If she studied the horizon, though, she could see just the promise of green, a hint of the farms and fields that she knew were out there. This city might be a sprawling giant, but the colonists had come here for the rich soil and mild weather. Once out of the confines of the metropolitan area, she would find nothing but small farming communities and beautiful countryside.

The shuttle landed at the edge of a large paved area. Obviously they weren't going to disembark at a terminal, but that was fine with her, because when the shuttle door opened and the warm breeze pushed away the stale air of the cabin, she suddenly couldn't wait another moment to be outdoors. She grabbed her duffel and awaited her turn to climb down the shuttle steps.

When she reached the door, she took a moment to look around while an elderly man descended. She had come in on a fairly good-sized shuttle, and a crowd had gathered to greet the passengers. Businessmen paired off and walked quickly away from the landing site. Families exclaimed and hugged, gathering around loved ones and making no move to leave. Several people standing close to the walkway were already looking behind her, waiting for others who had yet to exit. And there, his hair mussed by the wind, moving forward from the back of the crowd...

She smiled and waved, her heart leaping into her chest as Spock herded two bouncing, nearly identical dark-haired girls in her direction. All three of them looked so good, and she was struck anew by how lucky she was to have such a devoted, intelligent, beautiful man gazing at her with undisguised affection, hurrying to see her after what seemed a lifetime's separation. Had it really only been two months? She rushed down the steps and wound her way through the crowd to meet them.

Saavik reached her first. "Nyota! Nyota! Welcome to Gamma Cygnus!"

Uhura wrapped an arm around Saavik. "Hello, Saavik. I can't believe I'm finally here. And you must be Elizabeth. Look at the two of you! You could be sisters!"

Saavik grabbed the other little girl's arm and dragged her close. "People think that all the time, or at least they do until they take another look. The lady at the market even calls us 'the twins'!"

"I can see why!" Uhura straightened and looked into Spock's eyes. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I am pleased to see you, as well. I trust that your flight was uneventful?"

"Yes, just long. Like the last two months."

She expected him to comment on how illogical it was to perceive that the last two months had been longer than any other two months, but instead he simply nodded in agreement and reached for her duffel.

"Allow me to take this from you."

"Thanks, Spock."

His fingers brushed discreetly against her neck before grasping the strap on her shoulder, and she knew that the touch was not accidental. Spock would never accidentally touch anyone, and his simple gesture meant more to her than the most grandiose welcome she might have received from any other man. He held her eyes a moment longer, then looked down at the two girls.

"Are you ready to escort Nyota to the flitter?"

"Yes!" Saavik grabbed Uhura's hand and started toward the parking area. "Nyota, I fixed up my bedroom so that you can stay there. Margaret even let us cut some of the flowers in the back yard and put them in a vase for you, because I told her how much you like flowers. Spock had to help, though, because I could not reach the flowers on the tall bushes."

Uhura grinned at the image of Spock gathering flowers for her room, and she glanced over her shoulder to catch his eye.

"Saavikam was very precise in her instructions," he said wryly. "She would not allow me to cut any flowers that were not equal to her exacting standards."

"That is right! Spock did not know which ones were the best, but I told him."

"I can't wait to see them, because I'm sure they're lovely."

"They are," said Saavik. "You will like them very much. I even had some left over, so Margaret put them in a smaller vase and you will see them as soon as you walk in the front door. They are by the steps. Your room is at the top of the steps, across the hall from the guest room. Spock is staying in the guest room. When he got here yesterday, he offered to let you have the guest room, but I told him that you have to stay in my room because the person who stays in my room will have to share a bathroom with Elizabeth and me, and it is for girls only. Boys are not allowed! Rosa's room is upstairs, too, but she has a bathroom all her own. Would you like to go camping while you are here? The woods are very green, and it is not supposed to rain for at least five days." Saavik paused at the entrance to the parking structure. "Spock, I do not remember where we parked."

"The fourth level. Perhaps you and Elizabeth can call the lift for us."

"Yes! We will do that!"

The two adults walked slowly while they watched Saavik and Elizabeth run ahead. Shaking her head, Uhura said, "Whew! She's a bit excited, isn't she?"

"According to Margaret, she has been like this for days."

"I guess that I can't blame her. She was so disappointed when we changed our plans again."

"She certainly was. However, you must remember that I allowed her to choose between my visiting alone or postponing the trip until you could join me."

Uhura slipped her fingers around his elbow. "She made the right decision. Smart girl."

"Yes, although I must confess that I did not present her choices in an entirely unbiased manner."

"Good for you."

He regarded her for a moment. "From what I understand, I was not the only person who attempted to influence her decision."

Laughing, Uhura said, "You caught me."

They were interrupted by Saavik, who shouted from the other side of the structure. "Spock! Nyota! The lift is here!"

Uhura quickly removed her hand as they rushed to catch the lift.

...

Pretending to try the small vase of flowers on a table at the far side of the living room, Margaret Santos took a moment to peek out the window that faced the neighbors' back yard. She had to grin. Spock stood at the base of the tree and peered up into the branches at what appeared to be nothing, but what she knew was actually the well-hidden treehouse that the girls had worked so hard to build with the children next door. Nyota Uhura was nowhere to be seen; presumably she was up there with the girls. Poor woman-Saavik and Elizabeth had barely given her time to sit down and have a glass of iced tea before they dragged her outside. She hadn't seemed to mind, though. She was evidently a good sport. Margaret already liked her.

As she watched, Spock shook his head and said something. After a moment he shook his head again, more emphatically this time. She laughed, because the occupants of the tree house were obviously trying to talk him into climbing up there with them. She was sure he wouldn't do it, however. She remembered that summer so many years ago when she, herself, had done her very best to entice him into the treehouse in her own back yard. No matter how much she'd begged and wheedled, she'd never been able to convince him to join her. When they were kids, she'd usually been able to talk him into anything, but he never got over being wary of climbing up into a tree. She supposed that was understandable for a child of the desert. As an adult he was damn sure not going to want to go up there. Then again...

Maybe Nyota Uhura had something to offer that she, at the age of eight, hadn't.

For the umpteenth time Margaret wondered just how close those two really were. It had been a long time since she and Spock had exchanged messages regularly, but through the years they'd always managed to keep up with each other, and she'd heard the name 'Nyota Uhura' often. And recently she'd been hearing it much more often. Saavik obviously adored the woman, and although Spock seemed to be pretty fond of her, too, it was impossible to tell just how deep his feelings ran.

As she picked up the vase and carried it back out into the hallway, she glanced at the chrono. Phillip would be bringing Rosa home from soccer practice soon, and he'd finally get to meet the 'Nyota' that they'd all heard so much about since the first day Saavik had come to live with them. It would be interesting to hear his impression of their guests' relationship. Too bad he had to go off-planet tomorrow for that teaching seminar. With the school on break between semesters, the rest of them were going to enjoy a fine vacation.

A child's brilliant laugh drifted in from the yard. Deciding that she was missing out on the fun, Margaret quickly put the vase down and headed for the back door.

...

"Tell me, Nyota, how long are you going to be able to stay here?"

Uhura smiled at the tall man who sat in the comfortable chair across from the sofa, his sandy blond hair so different from the dark, glossy manes of his wife and daughters. He was one of those people who put you at ease just by being near you, and his quiet personality contrasted with the bright energy of the rest of his family every bit as much as his fair coloring contrasted with their striking dark looks. He was also a darn good cook. Uhura was finding it hard to stay awake after her long day and the sumptuous meal he had put on the table.

"Four nights. You and Margaret were so nice to invite me to stay longer, but I'm still too new at my job on the Lexington to be away more than six days."

Margaret took a sip of her coffee. "Spock told us that you were just recently promoted. Congratulations."

"Thank you. It's been interesting. Fun, challenging, and something new every time I turn around." She glanced over Saavik's head at Spock, who sat at the other end of the sofa. "As much as I like it, though, I sure do miss the Enterprise."

"I can assure you that you are most sorely missed aboard the Enterprise," he said. "While Lieutenant Feinstein is a capable officer, the overall efficiency rating of the communications department has dropped by five point two percent."

Spock paused for a moment to watch Saavik. Uhura smiled; obviously bored, the little girl had kicked off her shoes and was dangling them on her toes.

He continued. "The decrease in the communication department's morale rating is even more dramatic. In addition, although we have not been able to measure it objectively, I am quite certain that bridge operations have also suffered."

One of the shoes fell off. Saavik squirmed until she could just barely reach it with her outstretched foot and started trying to pick it up using only her big toe.

Spock sighed and looked back up at Uhura. "I have also noticed that the senior staff does not gather as frequently for social events as they did prior to your departure. Indeed, just two days ago I overheard Mr. Scott complain that his life had become 'dull' since you left. He attempted to organize a gathering for-"

Saavik perked up. "A party?"

"Of sorts."

"Was it someone's birthday?"

"No, Saavikam. Nothing so interesting as that. He wished to introduce a new member of his engineering staff to the senior officers, but the event was less festive than he had hoped."

"Oh."

Saavik slipped further down in her seat and tried to pin her shoe between her feet. When they had all come in here after dinner, she had been full of enthusiasm and eager questions. As the conversation drifted from tales of recent missions to topics that could be considered more mundane, however, her interest had waned accordingly. Rosa and Elizabeth, sitting on the floor next to their mother, were also apparently running out of patience, because as Uhura watched they had begun to bicker. She couldn't actually hear them, but she could tell by their expressions exactly what was happening over there.

Margaret rolled her eyes. "All right girls, outside! Go play soccer. Rosa needs the practice."

Glad to make their escape, Rosa and Elizabeth jumped up and started for the door. Saavik, though, looked up at Spock and didn't move.

"Saavikam, you will not miss anything," he said.

"Will you tell me more about the Enterprise later? Something new that I have never heard before?"

"I will."

"All right. I will go outside with the others, then."

She ran out of the room. Uhura heard the back door open and close, and the house was quiet. An instant later, the back door flew open and Elizabeth's loud voice broke the silence.

"Daddy!"

Phillip sighed. "Yes?"

"The soccer goal fell apart. Can you fix it?"

Coming to his feet, he said, "No rest for the wicked."

Margaret chuckled. "But we love you anyway, dear."

Margaret walked to the sofa as soon as he left the room. Not giving Uhura time to object, she took the empty cup out of her hand and said, "You need some more coffee. Be back in a minute."

Uhura watched Margaret walk around the corner to the kitchen, then grinned at Spock.

"Alone at last."

"Yes, however brief it may be."

Scooting just a little closer, she said, "I'm really enjoying myself, but we have got to find some time alone. You don't know how badly I want to just throw my arms around you and feel your body next to mine. Right here, on this sofa. Think they'd mind?"

The corner of Spock's mouth turned up. "Perhaps this is not the best time or place for a reunion. Would you care to go for a walk later? It would not be the most private of settings, but we would be able to talk undisturbed."

"That's a good idea, assuming I can stay awake that long. Maybe after the girls have gone to bed."

"Very well. It is a date."

She laughed. "Wonderful!"

He straightened, and a moment later Margaret walked into the room with two fresh cups of coffee.

End chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 2

Deciding that it was time for sleep, Spock placed the padd he had been reading on the bedside table and turned off the light. He was pleased to learn that Saavik had continued to do well in school. Mr. Thras was methodical in his approach and conscientious about documenting her progress, and after reviewing the schoolwork recorded on the padd, Spock had uncovered very few areas in which he would recommend a change in the curriculum.

As he arranged the pillows for maximum comfort, he reflected on the day. Saavik appeared to be thriving in this environment, not only gaining a good education but improving in the area of social skills as well. He was satisfied that he had made the right decision in placing her here with Margaret. Although he could have continued to provide her education, he knew that he would have been less successful in teaching her how to interact with others. Truly, the best way for her to learn was by example. Elizabeth and Rosa were both well-adjusted, happy children, and Saavik would do well to emulate them.

Their walk this evening had been enlightening. Although he had intended to walk alone with Uhura and had been disappointed when the rest of the family expressed an interest in accompanying them, it had turned out to be a most agreeable experience. The adults had paired off, allowing him to have lengthy discussions with both Margaret about the health of her parents, and Phillip on the merits of Kschevel's innovations in interactive computer-based education. In addition, although it had required a certain amount of maneuvering, he had even been able to walk for nine point three minutes with Uhura, lagging far enough behind the remainder of the group to foster at least a semblance of privacy.

The most edifying portion of their outing had been his observation of Saavik's behavior in relation to that of the other two girls. Although he had no doubt that Saavik would always be "different" from the majority of people she would encounter in life, he could see that she was not uncomfortable with that difference. He, himself, had learned to accept himself only relatively late in life, and he still had quite a distance to go before he could state unequivocally that he understood all the subtleties of social interaction. Saavik, however, seemed to have picked up many of the nuances that made day-to-day life with other beings less difficult.

He closed his eyes. Easing his mind into a relaxed state, he allowed his thoughts to wander. It was good to be with Uhura again. Recalling his reaction to the first glimpse of her face today, he remembered that his heart rate had not only increased in anticipation of her arrival but had also increased even more when he actually sighted her. Fascinating. His respiration had quickened, too. Now she was on the other side of a narrow hallway, separated from him by a mere two closed doors, and he found that he was experiencing an entirely different physiological reaction to her proximity. Not so much arousal as... emptiness? A desire to simply be near her, to touch her, to feel her mind within his own? Would it be so wrong if he were to rise and seek her out?

As if in answer to his musings, he heard a light tapping at his door. He sat up in bed and raised an eyebrow.

"Come," he said softly.

The door eased open, and Uhura slipped into the room. He watched her as she moved toward the bed. Her flowing nightgown was diaphanous, rippling in the silver moonlight just as the sheer curtains were waving gently in the open window, and he was struck by the fact that she resembled a wraith, a nymph, or some other fictional creature. Swallowing, he swung his feet to the floor.

She stopped just out of reach and murmured, "I couldn't sleep." Her eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"Neither could I."

"I couldn't stand to be apart from you another moment. Make love to me, Spock."

He searched her face. "At the very moment that you came to my door, I was considering going to you, but even though I entertained the notion I would not have acted upon it. We are guests in this home, and the children are just down the hall. To act upon our urges would be improper."

A gentle smile had stolen across her face as he spoke. "You know that we can be quiet. Remember that very first night? No one ever knew."

"True..."

As if to convince him, she pulled her nightgown off over her head. She was beautiful, perfect in his eyes, and all that he could ever want or need. And she was offering herself to him without reservation. Suddenly he decided that it would be illogical to continue to resist, because he knew that he would not be able to send her away.

He drew her into his arms, and together they eased down onto the bed until he had half-covered her body with his own. The pure physical sensation of being next to her was so satisfying-the feel of her arms when they slid around his back and the pressure of her leg where she wrapped it around his thigh-that she fulfilled one need while arousing quite another. He pressed himself against her and worked his fingers into her hair.

"It has been too long since we were last together."

Her lips against his ear, she whispered, "Oh, Spock, it has. I've missed you so much. Ever since I left the Enterprise, my days have been filled with rewarding work, but my nights have been unbearably long and lonely. I've ached for the moment when I could be with you again."

Wishing to rediscover her with all his senses, he buried his face against her neck and inhaled, then worked his mouth across her ear, her jaw, her cheek. Her tiny moans were barely louder than the wind whispering through the window, and her skin was soft and smooth beneath his fingers. When his lips found hers, she drew him in eagerly, their tongues exploring one another's mouths as if it were all new again.

Unable to wait any longer, he found the contact points on her face and opened his mind to hers_. Yes, yes, Nyota, join with me, be one with me, stoke our fires and revel in the heat, ease my burning with your cool completion, sate my need with your gentle acceptance_. She responded in like, inviting his mind into hers, and their thoughts were one, intermingling blissfully into a single, soaring entity.

"Oh, Spock. This is so good." Her voice was rough and sultry.

"Yes, it is. Ah, yes. It has been too long."

Somewhere on the physical plane, he knew that she was opening the fastenings on the front of his shirt, and he knew that he was slipping his arm out of the sleeve, but it was so far away that he was hardly aware of it. All that truly mattered were her mind in his and the aching need in his groin; everything else had faded almost to the point of non-existence.

...

Taking care to avoid that creaky floorboard in the hallway, Saavik wondered who might be up this late at night. It couldn't be Margaret or Phillip because she would have heard them on the stairs. It wasn't Elizabeth because she was sound asleep and snoring in the bed. Besides, the footstep had been too heavy for a child, so she knew it wasn't Rosa, either. That left only Spock or Nyota. Good! If one of them was up, she would like to sit and talk. She did not want to sleep anyway.

She stood in the hallway between the two closed doors. Nyota had been very tired from her trip today. In addition, of the two of them, Spock would be the one who would not desire so much sleep. Therefore the person who was still up was most likely Spock.

Easing closer to his door, she heard the murmur of voices. She could not understand the words, but it appeared that _both_ Nyota and Spock were awake. Excellent! It had been much too long since the three of them were alone together, and if Nyota and Spock had sought one another out for company, they would surely be very pleased to include her.

She tapped lightly on the door. "Spock? May I come in, too?"

The voices became silent.

"Spock?"

"Yes, Saavik?" Someone was moving around in his room. Perhaps he was coming to the door.

"I could not sleep and thought that if you were awake you would like to talk. May I come in?"

"One moment."

Saavik waited while the noises continued. Finally she heard his footsteps approaching, and the door clicked and opened. Light spilled into the hallway, and she looked around him to see that Nyota was sitting in a chair close to the bed. She was wearing her nightgown. Evidently she had not been able to sleep, either.

Spock's expression was severe. "Saavikam, why are you up?"

Saavik sighed in exasperation. She had already explained this. "I said that I could not sleep and that I wished to talk. I knew that one of you was awake because I heard you. It is a waste of time to sleep anyway."

"It is too late. You must return to bed."

"But you and I used to stay up much later than this when we lived on Dantria," she said mournfully. "Do you not want to talk to me?"

Spock glanced over his shoulder at Uhura, who nodded. When he turned back to Saavik, his features had softened.

Stepping back from the door, he said, "Of course I want to speak with you, Saavikam. That would please me very much. I simply did not wish you to be overtired for our camping trip tomorrow."

Saavik bounced victoriously into the room. "What will we talk about?"

"I know the perfect story," said Uhura, "but I can only tell it if you sit next to me on the bed. Spock, do you mind?"

"Of course I do not. Make yourself comfortable."

While he seated himself in the chair, Uhura and Saavik climbed onto the bed and sat shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the headboard.

Uhura grinned. "Did Spock ever tell you about Khan Singh?"

"Yes! He told me that Khan Singh tried to take over the Enterprise!"

"But did he tell you how handsome and strong Khan was? How charismatic, and how one of the officers fell hopelessly in love with him and left the ship to be with him?"

"No! Spock did not tell me that part."

"Oh, he was a beautiful man. Tall and muscular. His biceps were this big around! And when he looked at you..."

...

"...and that, Saavikam, is why Admiral Kirk chose to create a new home for Khan Singh and his followers rather than take them back to Earth to answer for their crimes."

Spock waited, knowing that Saavik always had another question. She did not disappoint him.

"But why did Lieutenant McGivers decide to give up Starfleet and the Enterprise and everything just to be with him?"

"Do you understand the concept of romantic love?"

"I think I do. Some beings, such as humans and Deltans, believe that there is one special person who will fulfill their mating needs forever. Did Lieutenant McGivers think that Khan Singh was her person?"

"Yes, she did."

"Then she was foolish. If she had waited, she would have found another person, and she could have stayed on the Enterprise."

Spock glanced over at Uhura, who was slumped next to Saavik with her head resting awkwardly on her own shoulder. She had fallen asleep some time ago, exhausted by the events of the day.

"It is not that simple, Saavikam."

"Yes it is! Humans are so silly sometimes. They think that if they do not make another person love them they will simply die. Rosa talks about Jarel like there are no other boys in the universe. I am glad that Vulcans do not fall in love."

"But you are mistaken. While Vulcans do not subscribe to the notion of 'true love' and are not so obsessive about the pursuit of romance, they do believe that there is often one particular person who will complete them. It does not always happen that one is fortunate enough to find that person, but when one does, one should make every effort not to let the person slip away."

"Do you think that I will find someone like that someday?"

"Perhaps."

"Have you ever found anyone like that?"

He paused. "Perhaps."

"Perhaps? You do not know?"

"One does not always know, Saavikam. That is one of the challenges of life." He stood. "This is enough for tonight. What do you propose we do about Nyota?"

Saavik studied the sleeping human. "She is very soundly asleep."

"Yes, she is. I believe that our best alternative would be to make her comfortable in this bed. I will sleep in hers."

"That is a good plan. Just remember that the bathroom is for girls only."

While Saavik scooted off the bed, Spock carefully pulled the pillow out from behind Uhura's back and eased her down, then covered her. He turned off the light, and together they walked quietly out of the room.

End chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 3

Hurrying to catch up with the three girls, Uhura grabbed a low branch and pulled herself up the embankment. Margaret had warned her when they began this morning that their hike would be strenuous, but Uhura had taken one look at the well-worn path and laughingly told Margaret that she would be fine. And she had been-until they left the well-worn path and took the trail that went straight up the side of the mountain.

Her foot slipped and a few small rocks bounced down to where Margaret stood, but she finally scrambled onto a relatively level area. They must be near the top. She looked ahead for the girls and saw that they were already climbing up another incline. Of course, the children weren't packing supplies like the rest of them, but they still acted like a trio of mountain goats. She couldn't possibly keep up with them.

She turned and reached for Margaret.

"Here. This one's a little rougher than the rest. I'll help you."

"Thanks, Nyota. I've done this many times before, but it never gets any easier."

Holding onto a branch with one hand, Uhura tugged on Margaret with the other, and soon they stood side-by-side. They turned toward Spock, who simply grabbed the same branch Uhura had held and took one large step up.

Margaret rolled her eyes. "I should have sent you ahead with the girls so that you wouldn't have to witness this."

"If you would allow me in front of you, I would be more than willing to assist."

"Nope." Margaret started toward the next obstacle. "I told you, I'm going to do this by myself. Besides, we're almost there. Nyota?"

"If you can do it, so can I. Lead onward."

Spock appeared doubtful. "The next incline is rather steep."

Uhura smiled. "You think we can't do it? Just watch us!"

"That's the spirit!" Margaret put her foot on a root that protruded from the mossy bank and reached for a handhold. The wiry muscles of her arms and calves stood out as she strained to clear the top, but with one final heave, she flopped onto her belly.

She turned around. "Okay, Nyota. Your turn. Here, let me help."

"Mommy! Mommy! We're at the top!"

Margaret glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, we're there! Sorry that I can't help, but I'm always a little nervous about leaving the kids up there unattended."

Uhura waved her on. "Go ahead. I'll manage just fine."

Nodding, Margaret turned and started up the path.

"Here we go. This shouldn't be too hard." Uhura put her foot on the same root Margaret had used and started up the embankment. When she reached for her handhold, though, the dirt and rocks gave way, and she slipped. She grabbed another root that was just within reach and stopped herself from sliding, but she couldn't figure out where to go from here.

She heard an amused voice from behind.

"Are you in need of my assistance?"

"I can do it." Dirt crumbled away from the root she held, and she felt it begin to give way. "On second thought, yes, help me!"

She felt his hands on her bottom as he pushed her gently onto level ground. Once she was up there, he didn't remove his hands. She stayed on her hands and knees and looked over her shoulder.

"Spock?"

"You were expecting someone else, Commander?"

"I'm fine now."

"So I see."

"You can let go."

"If I must." He grabbed the root and pulled himself up beside her.

She grinned. "What was that for?"

"For the last one point eight hours, you have provided me with a rather titillating view. Therefore, when presented with such an opportunity, I did not wish to let it pass unappreciated."

"If I had known that you were going to help me like that, I would have asked for help a long time ago."

He stood and extended his hand. Pulling her onto her feet, he said, "Perhaps you will require additional assistance later."

She looked at him suggestively. "I'm sure I can figure out something you can help me with. As a matter of fact, I know exactly-"

The sound of pounding footsteps interrupted her as Saavik came into view on the trail ahead.

"Spock! Nyota! Come up here! This is our special camping place!"

"Coming, Saavikam." Spock met Uhura's eyes and murmured, "We will discuss this at greater length later."

"A very long and slow discussion, I hope." She started up the trail. "That is, if we can ever find any time alone."

Walking beside her, he nodded. "That has turned out to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. I am confident that we will find a way to be alone together soon, however."

Saavik motioned impatiently. "Come on!"

Picking up the pace, they allowed Saavik to lead them up to the campsite.

...

Rummaging around in the coolpack, Margaret called out, "Girls? Do you have your sticks yet?"

Rosa ran out from the woods. "I do! Elizabeth and Saavik are still looking. And here's one for Nyota."

"Terrific! Why don't we get you and Nyota started while we wait on Elizabeth and Saavik."

Nyota peered across the fire, curious about what Margaret was trying to find in the coolpack. "What do you have in there?"

"You'll see." With a flourish, Margaret pulled out a small package of hot dogs. "Here it is! What camping trip would be complete without a wienie roast?"

Nyota laughed. "Oh, heavens! I haven't done this for years."

From his perch next to Nyota, Spock frowned. "What are those?"

Margaret opened the package and took one out. "They're hot dogs, Spock! Oh, don't give me that look. These are made out of vegetable protein. You can eat one, too. Here-this first one is going to be just for you."

"Margaret, I refuse to consume one of those."

"But you have to! That's part of camping out! Didn't you know that by agreeing to camp out with us, you agreed to eat one of these?"

"You are making that up."

"No I'm not! Evidently you didn't do your research, because it's clearly stated that when you camp out you have to roast wienies. That's just one of the many rituals we have to observe tonight. I'm surprised you didn't look it up." She turned toward Nyota. "He looks everything else up. Did you know that when I was learning to ride a bicycle, he did a library search and then tried to tell me how to do it? He was four years old!"

"If you had listened to my instructions, the skin on your knees and elbows could very well have been intact at the end of the day. And I still refuse to consume one of those."

With a crackle of leaves and branches, Elizabeth and Saavik bounded out of the woods and interrupted what Margaret knew would have been a witty retort on her part. She hastily skewered hot dogs on the two sticks she already held and handed them back to Rosa, who gave one to Nyota.

"Mommy!" Elizabeth said breathlessly. "How are these? We had to search everywhere."

"Perfect, honey. Here, let me fix them up for you."

While she pulled two more hot dogs out of the package, she watched Spock and Nyota discuss the best way for Nyota to cook her meal. They were sitting side by side on the old log that had been such a familiar part of the campsite for years, and the two of them seemed to be entirely engrossed in their conversation. Or, to be more precise, they seemed to be entirely engrossed in each other. Were they a couple? Darn Spock and his tight-lipped secrecy, anyway! Anyone else would have just come right out and said what was going on, but because he had such an overblown sense of privacy, he and Nyota had ended up in separate rooms just because she hadn't known where else to put her guests. And last night they had evidently traded bedrooms! From what she'd managed to pry out of Saavik, the three of them had ended up talking in Spock's room and Nyota had fallen asleep, so Spock had slept in the other room instead. Maybe it was a plausible explanation, but it still seemed awfully suspicious to her.

She reached for Saavik's stick but still couldn't tear her attention away from the pair on the other side of the fire. Did Spock really have a romantic life? What a concept! Although she'd never, ever admit it, there had been a time many years ago when she'd had a bit of a crush on him, but of course nothing had ever come of it. She'd learned that he was bonded to that Vulcan girl, and that had been that.

Sighing, she reached back into the coolpack for the fruit salad and muffins that were intended for the adults all along. She may as well get used to the idea that she'd never discover the truth about Spock and his friend.

But that didn't mean that she wasn't dying to know.

End chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 4

Careful not to bump either of the small bodies seated in front of him, Spock shifted position until he had stretched his legs out to their full length. The heat was soothing beneath him. Although it had been approximately two point nine hours since the sun had dipped below the horizon, the day's warmth that still radiated from the rock contrasted comfortably with the cool air blowing in from over the valley. The wind was not strong, but it was enough to ripple the tops of the trees far below them. Indeed, he could almost believe that they were overlooking a body of water, for the flowing movement of the leaves and the luminescent silver glow of the moon combined to make the panoramic landscape look as if it were a shifting, changing mass of liquid.

He heard Uhura take a deep breath from her place near his right hand. "This is lovely, Margaret. Now I can see why you always come up here when you want to go camping."

"Isn't it incredible? I never get tired of sitting here and looking at the sky above and the scenery below. It's my favorite place in the entire universe. Would you believe that we'd actually been up here twice before we even realized that this clearing existed? It wasn't twenty feet away from where we used to camp. You would have thought that we'd struck dilithium when we discovered the overlook. We try to come up here as often as we can, and none of us have ever grown tired of it."

Spock leaned forward enough to see Margaret, who was on the other side of Uhura. She sat with her legs drawn up in front of her, and she had one arm wrapped around her knees and the other around Rosa's shoulders. Even though she had started the day with her hair secured in a small elastic band, much of it had escaped, and she absently captured several long tendrils from where they blew across her face and tucked them behind her ear. He was reminded of the many times he had seen that same gesture when they were children.

"Saavikam told me of the natural beauty of this site," he said, "and I see that she did not exaggerate. You are fortunate to have access to such unspoiled terrain."

She grinned. "And to think that I was the one who used to always dream about going off and joining Starfleet. I never thought that I'd be planetbound and so happy about it, and you'd be the one off on a continuous adventure."

Looking at Spock in surprise, Uhura said, "You got the idea of joining Starfleet from Margaret?"

"Not precisely. When I made the decision that I wished to leave Vulcan, I did a great deal of research before coming to the conclusion that my skills would be best utilized in Starfleet. I have no doubt, however, that the seed was planted many years prior to that time."

Margaret caught a few more stray hairs and tucked them behind her ear. "What about you, Nyota? Why did you join Starfleet?"

"Because of my grandfather."

"I did not know that your grandfather was in Starfleet," said Spock.

"He wasn't," she said with a smile. "As long as I can remember, he used to take me outside and tell me stories about the stars. Some of them were true, and some he just made up on the spot, but it didn't matter. I loved those stories and loved that time alone with him. He had such a beautiful, rich voice. Sometimes we'd sing songs together, but usually I just listened to him speak. That was always the special thing he did with only me. If anyone else was with us, he would talk about the weather or the political situation on Andor or something else entirely. When I graduated from the Academy, he was the proudest person in the audience. Now his voice is feeble, so whenever I see him, I'm the one who tells the stories about the stars."

Margaret stroked Rosa's hair. "That's a wonderful story, Nyota. Your grandfather sounds like an exceptional man."

"He is."

Saavik, who had been unusually silent, turned around. "Elizabeth and I are both going to join Starfleet some day. I will be the captain, and she will be my first officer."

Elizabeth frowned. "No, we decided that I would be the captain, and you could be the first officer."

"I am older than you. Therefore, it would be logical-"

Forestalling the argument before it could begin, Margaret gave Rosa one final squeeze and stood. "Girls, I think that it's time for you to unroll your sleeping bags and go to bed."

"Does Elizabeth have to sleep with us?" Rosa whined.

"Yes, she does. Saavik is going to share a tent with Nyota, so the three of us are going to all be together. It'll be fun! Just like when you two were little." Margaret started back toward the campfire. "Come on."

Following her, Saavik said, "I will see you when you come to the tent, Nyota."

"I won't be long, honey."

Uhura watched the girls walk away, then sighed and turned back toward the valley. Spock could see that something was on her mind. After a few moments, she became aware of his scrutiny.

"She's growing up, Spock."

"Does it disturb you?"

"Maybe a little. It's thrilling to watch her mature, but I don't know if I'm ready to give up the little girl quite yet."

He frowned and turned toward the campsite. The three girls were chattering as they prepared for bed. Margaret had made a half-hearted effort to keep them on task at first, but they were enjoying themselves, and Margaret had obviously decided to join in their merriment.

"Vulcan children mature at a slower rate than human children," he said. "You are still far from having to 'give up' the little girl."

"Not as far as you think, Spock. She'll be a young woman before we know it. I remember this age all too well. One moment, you feel so grown-up and ladylike, but the next you're running and playing like a child again. Every time I look at her, I can see glimpses of the adult she'll become. Haven't you noticed how much she's grown? She still has those long, gangly limbs, but she's learned how to rein in some of her excessive energy. And it's obvious that she's going to be beautiful someday. Enjoy the little girl while you can, because one day you'll look at her and be amazed to see that the little girl vanished while you weren't even watching."

He looked back out at the valley as he considered this. It was illogical to expect Saavik to remain young forever, yet he found it disturbing to consider that one day-possibly in the near future-the child he had known might not be there to greet him. Finally, he said, "We shall have to make a greater effort to ensure that another seven months do not elapse before we see her again."

"Do you know what I'd like to do? I'd like to take her somewhere, just the three of us. Somewhere where she can see something she's never seen before, like a nebula, or an iceberg, or a flock of tuliana birds as they soar over the jungles of Marisk Three."

"That is an excellent idea. She will have an extended break between semesters soon. That would be an opportune time to take her off-planet."

"Then it's settled. I'll ask around and see if anyone can recommend a good family vacation spot. Uh, not that we're a family or anything."

She sneaked a guilty look at Spock.

"Nyota, I do not mind if you choose a 'family vacation spot' for us," he said, amused at her reaction to her verbal slip. "Although technically we are not a family, a group consisting of two adults in an intimate relationship and a child who happens to be under the guardianship of one of the adults, traveling together, constitute what many would view as a family unit. You may select an appropriate destination."

She laughed. "You're right. I'll find a place that will be perfect, and I promise that I won't drag you to the Disney Colony."

"Thank you."

"That is, I won't if you'll go up in the treehouse with me tomorrow."

"Then I suppose that I shall have to endure the Disney Colony, because I am not going up in the treehouse."

"Come on, Spock. You can't go through life without ever going up in a treehouse."

"I assure you that I can."

She grinned, but before she could respond, they heard the thump of approaching footsteps. A moment later, Margaret sat back down in her spot next to Uhura.

"I think they're settled in for the night. I told Rosa and Elizabeth that they could whisper for ten minutes, but then they have to go to sleep. If you hear them after that, Spock, or they start arguing, would you let me know?"

"Of course."

They gazed out at the view for several minutes. Finally, Spock broke the silence.

"Nyota, where does your grandfather live now?"

"He's still in Tanzania, but he had to leave Dodoma and take an flat in Mwanza so that he could be closer to my father."

"When did you last see him?"

"Let's see. The last time I went home was when I met my sister and her family for a vacation on Kilimanjaro. That's been a good two years ago. After my grandmother died, he just suddenly seemed so old." She shook her head. "I'm terrible. I need to get back there and see him soon."

"I know what you mean," said Margaret, "but it's so hard sometimes to find the time to get back. The last visit I had with my grandparents, Elizabeth had just lost her first tooth. It's such a shame, really, because when I was young I practically lived there in the summertime. Did Spock ever tell you that that's how I know him? His grandparents lived next door to mine."

"Really? He told me that your mother and Amanda were good friends, but I figured that they'd gone to university together or something like that."

"No, they were companions as children," Spock said.

"They grew up together and were always best friends," Margaret added. "Mother said that she was crushed when Amanda moved to Vulcan, but as it turned out she came back every year or two, and Mother made sure that we were there every time. Being a couple of years older than Spock, I remember when he was just a chubby toddler. I hated him because he got all of the attention."

"You pinched me the first time we met."

Margaret snorted. "So you say. I don't remember it."

"I do."

"Anyway, it didn't take me long to decide that he wasn't so bad. I didn't have any siblings, and I used to pretend that he was my little brother. And like any little brother, he didn't like it when I tried to tell him what to do."

Laughing, Uhura said, "Speaking as a little sister, I don't blame him. Do your grandparents still live there?"

"Yes, they do, and Amanda's mother still lives next door." Margaret leaned forward to catch Spock's eye. "The last time I was there, Mother hauled the kids over to see your grandmother. I think your grandmother was jealous. She wants some great-grandchildren, too."

Spock sighed. "I am aware of that fact. She has made her wishes known on more than one occasion."

Margaret chuckled. "She does tend to speak her mind. When I married Phillip, she told him that she was glad to see that he was a patient man, because heaven only knew that he'd have to have plenty of patience to be married to me."

"I am sure that you can guess what she said to me when she learned that I had defied my father and joined Starfleet."

"She always did think that Sarek was a bit, ah, rigid with you."

Spock raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "I am impressed, Margaret. I did not realize that you had developed a sense of tact over the years."

She laughed, and the three of them fell silent. As they watched, an owl swooped down from the mountain, a silent predator in search of unseen quarry below. Curious as to what it had seen, Spock followed the large bird with his eyes, but a single cloud floated across the moon and the owl was lost in the shadows. The stars became brilliant in the temporarily darkened sky, however, so he shifted his attention upwards. He knew that Uhura was also gazing at the stars, and he wondered if she was thinking of her grandfather.

Finally, Uhura stood and brushed the leaves from her backside.

"I guess I'd better go on to bed, since I'm sure that Saavik is waiting for me."

Margaret also came to her feet. "Me, too. Are you coming, Spock?"

"Not immediately. I will attempt not to wake you when I retire."

"Okay, see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Margaret. Goodnight, Nyota."

Uhura smiled. "Goodnight, Spock. Sleep well."

He watched the two women walk back to the campsite, then shifted his position until he was kneeling on the smooth rock. He closed his eyes. His surroundings were perfectly calm. He could hear the others as they moved about the camp, but soon they too were quiet, and the only sounds to intrude upon his concentration were the rustling of leaves and the chirping of insects.

End chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 5

Uhura carried her mug to the kitchen table and sank tiredly into a chair. The night had been long. She and Saavik had whispered for what must have been two hours before they'd even tried to sleep, and although it had been fun-almost like being a kid on a sleepover again-she was paying for it today. She couldn't wait to take a shower, but before she did anything else, she was going to sit here and drink her coffee. She took a sip and closed her eyes in appreciation.

They'd straggled out of bed early this morning to find that Spock was already up and warming himself by a robust little campfire. She'd heard him when he came to his tent last night and knew that it must have been at least 0100 hours, but of course he was perfectly groomed and wide-awake when the rest of them got up. A fog had moved in overnight and the air was damp and chilly, so they'd wrapped themselves in their sleeping bags and sat around the fire until the sun came up and burned away some of the mist. Then, they'd spent the morning exploring, and by the time they got back to the flitter, the sky was bright and clear again.

Margaret pulled a bag of cookies out of the pantry and dumped them on a platter. Grinning at Uhura, she set them in the middle of the table and called out, "Girls? Want some lunch?"

Uhura smiled back, and both women glanced over at Spock. A frown on his face, he studied the plateful of cookies. Before he could comment, Margaret said, "It's not like I feed them this every day for lunch! It won't kill them, and they'll appreciate my wonderful mothering skills all the more, just wait and see."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't reply, even when the three children ran into the kitchen and picked up as many cookies as they could carry.

As she left the kitchen, Elizabeth said, "Thanks, Mommy! You're the best mom in the whole universe."

"See, Spock?" Margaret gloated. "The best mom in the whole universe. What more could I want than that?"

He regarded her for a moment. "Healthy children, perhaps?"

"Hmmph." She picked up a cookie and took a bite.

Just as Uhura reached toward the cookies to take one for herself, she happened to glance over Margaret's head. Something was crawling up the wall.

"Margaret? What's that?"

Turning around to take a look, Margaret yelled, "Saavik! Is this yours?"

From the other room, Saavik said, "What is it?"

"Uh, it looks like one of those checherra bugs, with red wings and big pinchers."

"No, it is not mine. The stupid boys brought it in to show us last week, but when they tried to put it on Rosa, it got away. You may let it go."

Walking to the cabinet, Margaret muttered, "No more cookies for those boys." She retrieved a small container with a lid, but by the time she made it over to the insect, it had crawled onto the ceiling and stopped. She couldn't reach it.

"Spock? Could you get this for me? There's a stepstool in the closet over there."

"Of course."

Uhura watched as he located the stepstool and gently captured the insect. It rattled its pinchers at him menacingly, but when he took it outside and released it, Uhura saw through the open door that it quickly flew away. He came back in and folded the stepstool, and carried it into the closet.

A moment later, he said, "Margaret, where did you get this?"

Margaret walked to the closet door and looked over his shoulder.

"I'm so embarrassed. Your mother sent that to me when I got married. I tried to learn how to play it, but I never could. For a while, I had it out as a decoration, but the girls couldn't leave it alone so I put it away."

"This is a very fine instrument." He turned around with a Vulcan harp in his hands.

Uhura sat up straighter. "Oh, can I see it?"

He brought it to the table and showed it to her. Running her fingers over the adorned frame, she said, "It's beautiful."

"Yes, it is."

Margaret sat down in her chair. "Will you play something?"

"That would please me."

He plucked two of the strings experimentally, and Uhura laughed when both he and she cringed at the same time.

"I haven't had it tuned for years," Margaret said sheepishly.

"Obviously."

Pushing his chair away from the table, he settled the harp on his lap and played a series of intervals. Uhura moved her coffee to the side and rested her chin on her hands while she watched. Even though he was only tuning the harp, he was entirely focused on the simple notes that drifted out from under his fingers, and she thought of the many times she had sat in his quarters and watched him like this. Unfailingly, his eyes would soften and a far-away expression would steal across his face, and his metamorphosis from the serious, tightly controlled officer into a gentle and poetic musician never ceased to intrigue her.

Finally he nodded, satisfied that the harp was in tune. He flexed his hands, paused, then suddenly a bright arpeggio filled the room. She smiled, immediately recognizing the first notes of T'Palet's "Eighteenth Study for Harp."

Sensing movement, she looked up to see Saavik standing at her elbow, so she scooted over to make room. Saavik was entranced by the music, her eyes big as she slid into the chair with Uhura. Afraid that she might chase her away, Uhura held her breath and eased her arm around Saavik's back. Saavik leaned into her touch, however, and Uhura smiled gently-she hadn't known whether the little girl or the young lady sat next to her, but evidently it was the little girl. She tightened her grip around Saavik's thin shoulders.

They sat quietly and listened to the slightly dissonant harmonies of the Vulcan music. Spock's fingers flew over the strings of the harp, and his eyes were almost closed with rapt attention to the complexities of the music. Her chest grew tight, her heart seeming to actually swell with the sheer power of her love for him, this man with the intellect of a scientist but the soul of an artist, who could coax such beauty from a wooden frame and a few lengths of synthetic string.

After the dazzling brilliance of the main body of the piece, the coda slowed into a lesson in restraint, then finally drifted away into nothingness. Incredible. Uhura had always loved this piece, but listening to Spock play it was like hearing it for the first time all over again.

He spread his fingers on the strings to damp them and met her gaze again.

She smiled. "That was lovely."

Margaret nodded. "That was terrific! I didn't know that you could play like that. It was absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you."

Reaching for the last cookie, Saavik said, "Spock is the very best harp player in the whole universe. Are there any more cookies, Margaret?"

"I don't think so, but I'll look."

Margaret walked over to the other side of the kitchen. Slipping out of Uhura's grasp, Saavik followed, and the two of them began rummaging through the shelves of the pantry.

Uhura turned back toward Spock. "Play something else. Do you know any Debussy?"

"No, I do not."

"Really? That surprises me. There are so many good transcriptions of Debussy's piano works for the Vulcan harp. You have such a tremendous repertoire that I would have thought you'd know one. Why haven't you ever learned one?"

From across the room, Margaret said, "No cookies, Saavik. How about these crackers?"

"Those are not good. Will you make us some pancakes?"

Uhura noticed that Spock looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I am sorry, Nyota. I... have never cared for Debussy."

Uhura blinked. "What?"

Margaret's voice was firm. "I am not going to make pancakes. There are some in the stasis unit. How about those?"

"No, those are disgusting. May we have some popcorn?"

Spock hesitantly met Uhura's eyes. "I have never been able to develop an appreciation for impressionistic music. The shifting harmonies and imprecise rhythms do not fit logically into a mathematical construct."

"I can't believe it! What about..." Uhura glanced quickly over her shoulder, then leaned close and lowered her voice. "What about all of those times that we listened to it when we were, you know, alone?"

"I knew that you enjoyed it, so I did not object."

Margaret picked up a container of popcorn and closed the pantry. "All right. Popcorn it is."

Uhura turned toward Margaret. "Margaret? Do you have any Terran classical recordings on your computer?"

Pulling out the popcorn popper, Margaret nodded. "A couple of years ago a salesman talked me into buying 'One Thousand Years of Earth's Greatest Hits.' I can't say that we've listened to them much, but they're in there."

"Good." Uhura stood. "We're going to have a music appreciation lesson. Saavik, you too. This is for everyone."

Her face bright, Saavik walked next to Uhura. "What are we going to listen to?"

"Claude Debussy's piano music. He was a Terran composer who wrote music from the late nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries, during what was called the impressionistic period. Have you heard of him?"

"Was he the man who cut off his ear? Maybe his music was ugly."

"No! You're thinking of Vincent Van Gogh, an artist. Debussy's music is gorgeous. As a matter of fact, he and Maurice Ravel are my two favorite composers. Have you heard of Ravel?"

"Yes, I think. Was he impressionable, too?"

"That's right, although it's called 'impressionistic.'" She turned around to see that Spock had followed them into the living area and was carefully placing the harp on a table next to the wall. "Why don't you two take a seat on the sofa while I figure out what I want to play. Oh, wait a minute. First, Saavik, would you go see if Elizabeth and Rosa want to listen?"

"All right!"

Saavik dashed out of the room and up the stairs. Uhura barely had time to seat herself at the computer and call up a list of the works that were available before all three girls rumbled down the steps and sat on the floor by her feet. A moment later, Margaret came in with a big bowl of popcorn and set it close to the girls. Grinning, Uhura looked up at Spock and caught the amusement in his eyes. She knew that he was thinking the same thing she was-this had better be good, with such an expectant audience.

"Let's see... Here's one that you'd like, Saavik: 'La neige danse.' Debussy's titles are French, but it translates to The Snow is Dancing."

Saavik scowled. "That is a very strange title. Snow does not dance. It simply falls from the sky and lands on the ground. It does not move after that unless someone picks it up or it melts."

From the sofa, Spock said, "The impressionistic composers chose descriptive and somewhat fanciful titles for their works. You must attempt to suspend your disbelief, Saavikam."

Uhura nodded. "That's right. Listen to some of these great titles: 'Footprints in the Snow,' 'The Wind on the Plains,' 'The Girl With the Flaxen Hair,' 'The Isle of Joy,' 'Bells Through the Leaves,' 'Gardens in the Rain'... I could go on and on. And in French, they're even more lyrical: 'Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir.' That's 'The Sounds and Perfumes Swirling in the Evening Air.'"

From her seat next to Spock, Margaret reached for the bowl of popcorn on the floor. "I always wished that I had blonde hair so I could be 'The Girl With the Flaxen Hair.' I love that piece."

"That's a wonderful piece, although my absolute favorite is 'Clair de lune.'"

Uhura couldn't avoid glancing at Spock as she said that. Many, many times, she'd asked the computer to play that piece when they were making love. She spotted the awareness of her thoughts in his eyes, and she looked back at the computer to hide the flush that suddenly warmed her face.

After a moment, she said, "Here's a good one. It's called 'What the West Wind Saw.'" She sat back in her seat. "Computer, play 'Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest.'"

They all sat quietly as the rippling notes of the piano whispered from the computer. Uhura could almost hear the wind murmuring through the leaves at their campsite as the rapid harmonies surrounded and enveloped them; just as the warm, gentle breeze had blown in from over the valley, the music brushed against their senses, soothing and hypnotic. Soon, however, the music began an ascent toward a furious crescendo, and she remembered how the wind had grown in intensity late last night as she lay in her tent. She had wondered at the time if a storm might be brewing. Now, the wind whipped the trees of her imagination and brought a shower of leaves down on their heads, subsiding only the tiniest bit before ending the piece with a glorious, final flurry of notes. The ringing sound of the piano carried in the air for a moment, then the room was silent.

"I heard the wind!" cried Saavik.

Laughing, Uhura said, "Good for you! Spock?"

He regarded her cautiously. "Intellectually, I appreciate Debussy's intent, but I would not choose to listen to it again."

Uhura frowned. "I thought that you might like this one. Debussy hardly changed the time signature at all, and some of the note clusters remind me of Vulcan music."

Shaking her head, Margaret said, "Sorry, Nyota. I'm afraid that I didn't care much for it, either."

Uhura sighed. "I agree that this is one of Debussy's more esoteric works. I suppose it wasn't a good choice. Here's one I know everyone will like better. Computer, play 'Clair de lune.'"

The simple, clear melody began, and she decided that she wanted to sit beside Spock. They might be surrounded by a roomful of other people, but she could at least enjoy the warmth of his body next to hers. She stepped over the bowl of popcorn and situated herself on the sofa between Margaret and Spock while Debussy painted his evocative picture of the moon and its silvery light.

...

After Nyota played three more pieces for them, the girls became tired of listening and ran back upstairs. Margaret hadn't wanted to admit it, but she could only take so much of that as well. Even though she'd been a little bored, however, it'd been worth it to watch Spock and Nyota. She might have been wondering about their relationship yesterday, but today things were becoming clear. Something was going on, and it wasn't just friendship.

She could hear Spock fiddling around with the harp as she carried the empty bowl into the kitchen. Nyota followed right behind her with the girls' glasses. Deciding that she'd deal with the dirty dishes later, Margaret put the bowl down in the sink and motioned for Nyota to do the same with the glasses.

Making every attempt to keep her voice casual, she leaned against the counter and said, "You know, there was a time when I could tell what Spock was thinking just by looking at him, but sometime late in our teenage years he became a closed book to me. It really hurt at first, although eventually I accepted that that's just the way he is."

Nyota rinsed out the glasses and put them in the washer instead of the sink. "Yes, if he doesn't want you to know what's on his mind, you're not going to know."

"You, on the other hand, I can read. I watched you watch him while he played that harp, and maybe it's unrequited or maybe you two are a couple, but it's very clear to me that you love him. See? I told you that I can read you-now you're thinking that you can't believe I'd be so blunt."

Straightening to face her, Nyota was very quiet.

Margaret laughed uncomfortably before continuing. "Sorry, really I am. People tell me all the time that I need to learn to be more tactful, but I've never been good at it." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "So maybe it's none of my business, but Spock's my friend and I want him to be happy. If the two of you haven't progressed beyond the stage of 'just friends,' I'm going to march in there and tell him that he needs to grab you and never let you go."

Darting a glance in the direction of the den, Nyota said, "If I didn't think that he'd be utterly mortified, I'd let you do it."

"So I'm right?"

Nyota nodded. "But please don't make a big deal out of it. You know how he is about his privacy."

"Oh believe me, I know. I won't say a thing."

Despite the fact that she really wanted to hear more of the juicy details, Margaret let the conversation end with this, and they returned to the living room. As she sat down to listen to Spock play something else on the harp, she found that she was looking at him through new eyes.

And he looked damn good. Nyota was a lucky woman.

End chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 6

"Here. Give me your glass and I'll pour you some more wine, Nyota."

Uhura handed the glass across the treehouse to Margaret. "This is great. It's so peaceful out here, and if I lean back a little bit, I can even see the stars."

"It is great. I'm glad you suggested it."

"I just really wanted to see what it was like up here without the girls climbing all over me. Saavik has talked about this treehouse like it was the Taj Mahal, and now I can see why. She did a good job on it."

"You should have seen the one that the kids next door built. It was just a few planks held together by some old nails. They scoffed when she said she could do better, but I guess she showed them." Margaret handed the full glass back to Uhura, then picked up her own glass and lifted it into the air. "To treehouses and stupid boys!"

"Hear hear!" Uhura laughed and clinked her glass against Margaret's.

They heard the back door open and close, and Uhura peeked out between the boards. "It's Spock," she whispered.

Margaret snickered. "He's worried about us."

Pretending to be indignant, Uhura said, "And well he should!"

They became quiet as he approached the tree.

"Margaret?" His voice was very calm beneath them.

Margaret stretched out on her stomach so that she could look down at him. "Yes?"

"The girls have stated that they would like some popcorn, but I have been unable to locate the appropriate equipment."

"Try the back of the flitter."

Uhura couldn't see him, but she could picture his expression as he paused. He'd be frowning slightly and looking at Margaret as if she had lost her mind.

Finally, he said, "Ah. Of course. Why did I not think to check there?"

Margaret laughed. "Oh, be quiet! After we were through with it today, I put it there so I'd remember to take it to school next week. We're having a class party."

"I see."

Uhura peered through the boards and saw that he was returning to the house. Margaret winked at her and whispered as loud as she could, "He was checking up on us."

Using the same tone of voice, Uhura said, "He knows that we're talking about him."

She knew that he heard them, but he didn't react, and soon he had gone back into the house. Margaret scooted over beside Uhura and nudged her in the ribs.

"He's really worried now."

"Good. If he's not going to come up here with us, he should suffer the consequences."

Leaning against the wall of the treehouse, they sipped their wine in silence until Margaret shook her head.

"I really thought that you could talk him into it, Nyota."

Uhura shrugged. "I tried, but he's made his mind up. You know how he gets."

"Don't I ever. Once when I was about fifteen years old, I tried my best to talk him into taking me to a school dance. It wasn't like he was going to have to do anything after he got there-I just wanted to make some boy jealous-but he dug his heels in. It wasn't until I blackmailed him that he agreed to go."

Uhura turned toward Margaret in amazement. "What in the universe did you have on him that was so awful it convinced him to take you to a dance?"

Margaret looked over her shoulder through the crack in the wall, then leaned close to Uhura. "When he was six, he took apart my father's antique model train to see how it worked."

Uhura frowned in disgust. "That's all? I thought that it was going to be something really juicy. Don't tell me that you were still holding that over his head when he was thirteen!"

"Are you kidding? I could use it against him now." She started giggling. "Do you think I could get him to come up here if I threatened to tell my daddy what he did?"

Uhura leaned against Margaret. "Maybe I should try to blackmail him, except that everything I have on him incriminates me, too!"

The back door opened again, and they fell silent as they looked through the boards. Spock was returning. Uhura thought that he appeared to be a little less patient this time. They both rolled onto their stomachs and looked down through the door just as he halted underneath.

"The girls are displeased with the popcorn. It would appear that I left out a crucial ingredient, but I have been unable to ascertain exactly what it is. Could you describe to me what they mean by 'sprinkly stuff'?"

Smiling broadly, Margaret said, "That would be parmesan cheese. There's a container of it in the stasis unit, already crumbled for your convenience."

He nodded and turned to go back in, but before he had gone far, Margaret looked over at Uhura with mischief in her eyes and whispered, "Tell me another story, Nyota. A really good one."

"Uh..."

Biting her lip, Uhura searched her memory for an incident that would make him squirm but wouldn't humiliate him. The time he was a host for that sleazy alien's consciousness? The look on his face when Christine told everyone that he'd shared her mind had been priceless, but shortly before that he'd almost destroyed Admiral Kirk. Probably too painful. How about that time she made up a song about his alien love? Chuckling, she decided against it-that one hit too close to home now. Hmmm...

There. She had it.

Glancing down at him, she leaned close to Margaret and murmured, "Once, he and Admiral Kirk had to pretend to be gangsters so they could complete an assignment without violating the Prime Directive. You should have seen them! They looked just like actors in one of those old vids from the twentieth century. Spock was very handsome. Admiral Kirk told me later that he never did get the behavior right, though."

He paused and faced them. "Although I am quite certain that the two of you are staging this for my benefit, may I remind you both that the stories you know about me pale in comparison to the stories I know about you. You would be wise to keep that in mind when you continue."

Exchanging glances, Margaret and Uhura both broke up laughing. After a moment, he raised an eyebrow and walked into the house.

Margaret sat up and reached for the wine. As she refilled their glasses, she glanced up with big eyes and said, "He's probably right, you know."

Uhura nodded. "Yes, I know."

They drank in silence until Uhura looked over at Margaret. Grinning, she said, "So, you tell me one now."

...

Realizing drowsily that she was cool, Uhura reached for the covers and tried to pull them up over her bare shoulders. When she tugged on them, however, they didn't budge. It felt like someone was holding them.

She opened one eye, almost expecting to see Spock in the bed next to her, but of course he wasn't. It was Saavik. Her long, curly hair wild on the pillow, she was wrapped up as tight as a mummy and sleeping soundly. Uhura sighed, remembering the events of last night.

She and Margaret had stayed out in the treehouse until they were too tired to continue, at which time they had come in and discovered that all of the previous night's campers were ready for bed. So, they'd all retired early in hopes of getting a good night's sleep. Or at least, the rest of the group had been hoping to get a good night's sleep. Uhura's hopes had run in a completely different direction.

Those hopes had been spoiled around 2230 hours when Elizabeth woke up crying that she itched all over. The entire household had been roused, and upon examination, Margaret discovered that Elizabeth had a terrible case of scelanis dermatitis, this planet's version of poison ivy. Margaret had given her something to lessen the itching and smoothed a cool, pink lotion on her arms and legs, but in the end it had been decided that the little girl would be more comfortable by herself, and Uhura had volunteered to share her bed with Saavik.

Smiling affectionately, Uhura brushed a wild lock of hair away from Saavik's innocent face. While she was frustrated at having her plans thwarted yet again, it was still nice to have had this time with Saavik. Saavik had been absolutely thrilled at the prospect of staying with Uhura another night, and Uhura couldn't find it in her heart to wish for events to have turned out any differently. However, she and Spock were leaving tomorrow on separate shuttles, and if they didn't find a way to be alone together tonight, she'd probably just explode.

She eased the covers out from under Saavik's body and settled down for a few more hours of sleep.

...

"Look, Nyota, there is my school, and that is my playground next to it! The other children play on those pieces of equipment, but Elizabeth and I always climb in the big tree. Mr. Thras says that next year we will be too old for the playground, although we will still get to go out back to the athletic fields on nice days. My classroom is on the second level. See that window on the right side of the building? That is the window I look out! I do not look out when Mr. Thras is talking, however, because he does not like that."

Alternately rushing ahead and waiting for the others to catch up, Saavik could hardly contain herself. She was taking Spock and Nyota to her school! They would meet Mr. Thras, and he would tell them what a good student she was. Hopefully he would not tell them about what happened on the playground last week, but if he did, she would tell them that the mean girl started it. Besides, she had warned the mean girl four times that she would be in big trouble if she continued to call Elizabeth that bad word. Rosa had even said that the mean girl was asking for it, although Saavik was fairly certain that the mean girl was not asking for what she actually got.

She dashed up the walkway and waited for the front door to recognize her. It did not open immediately, probably because the school was on break, but eventually it slid to the side and allowed the three of them to enter. She crossed the lobby and headed for the steps.

"Follow me! We will go up this way, and my room is to the left."

Uhura paused to examine the lobby. "Saavik, what a wonderful school! I know that you're in a hurry, but can you take just a moment to tell me about these murals? Look at the bright, vibrant colors in this one! What kind of flowers are these?"

"They're really meranias, but everyone just calls them marry-me flowers. This is a painting of one of the first colonists who came to Gamma Cygnus. Our school is named after that woman! See her? She is holding some marry-me flowers because she is getting married to that man. The other two murals depict when they got old, and when this school was built on their farm."

Spock crossed the lobby to view a large case filled with children's drawings. "Saavikam, this is an interesting collection of artwork. They appear to have a common theme: 'When I Grow Up.' Do you have an item on display?"

"Yes! Over here. This one is mine."

From her other shoulder, Uhura read, "'When I grow up I will live on the Enterprise.' That's you! And there's Spock. Is that me?"

"Yes! Even though you do not live on the Enterprise any more, I decided that maybe you would again by the time I am there."

"You have created a most accurate representation of the bridge and the crew, Saavikam. I am impressed."

"Thank you. I worked very hard on it."

Giving Saavik's shoulder a squeeze, Uhura said, "It's perfect, honey. I wish you would make one for me someday."

"I will! It will be even better than this one."

Spock started toward the steps. "It is time for our appointment. We do not wish to keep Mr. Thras waiting."

"I will tell him we are here!"

Saavik dashed up the stairs. Maybe Mr. Thras would show Spock that report she did on how warp engines worked!

...

Allowing Saavik to lead the way to the outdoor market, Spock mentally reviewed their meeting at the school. Except for the incident on the playground, he was quite satisfied with Mr. Thras' recounting of Saavik's progress. The Andorian was an extremely capable teacher, and it was obvious that he had developed a sound understanding of Saavik's particular needs. Of course, Spock had already known that Thras was an ideal instructor for Saavik, but an additional benefit that he had not foreseen was that the teacher had clearly become very fond of her. This pleased Spock greatly. Saavik had lived for too many years in hostile surroundings. It was good that she had found such a nurturing environment.

Prompted by a light touch on his elbow, he looked over to find Uhura watching him.

"A credit for your thoughts."

He glanced at Saavik to ensure that she was too far ahead to overhear. Pitching his voice low, he said, "I was merely considering the fact that Saavik is thriving here, and that she has been provided many opportunities to form positive relationships with other beings. Mr. Thras, for example, has established a definite rapport with her."

"I noticed that, but it doesn't surprise me. As difficult as Saavik can be sometimes, anyone who gets to know her isn't going to be able to resist her honesty and earnestness. She has plenty of people who truly love her. You, me-don't look at me like that, I know you do-Margaret, Phillip, Elizabeth, Rosa, Mr. Thras, the kind lady at the market, even the two boys next door. When I think about how her life could have been, I'm practically overcome with relief."

"Although it is illogical to think of what might have been, I cannot help but do the same."

Uhura nodded, then turned her gaze to the clear blue sky overhead. They strolled in silence, the sidewalk hard beneath their feet and the sun bright on their shoulders. The town was peaceful. Margaret had told them when they arrived that the residents had agreed to limit the use of vehicles, and indeed he had seen nothing but pedestrians since they had left the house this morning.

As they passed a small ornamental tree, a blue bird took flight and winged across their path. He looked over at Uhura to see her delighted smile at the unexpected activity, but soon she resumed her study of the tidy houses that lined the street. He realized that he missed his quiet times with her, those moments when neither of them felt the need to speak and they simply enjoyed one another's company.

Finally, he became curious at her pensive expression. "Now it is my turn to ask what you are thinking."

"Oh, I'm just wondering about something. Several things, really, like when we might see each other again. I don't want to wait until Saavik's next break from school."

"The apparent build-up of Klingon forces along the neutral zone in sector three will undoubtedly result in the reassignment of several starships. If that is the case, it is conceivable that you and I will encounter one another in the line of duty in the near future."

"That would be nice. I guess that it would be hoping for too much to think that we might actually be on patrol together, but at least we'd be close enough to meet now and then without having to make such elaborate plans."

"I do not believe that Starfleet would assign both ships to the same patrol."

"I know, but I can dream. And I had another idea, although this would happen after Saavik's break. A few weeks ago I talked to my sister, and she mentioned that she's planning a big celebration for my nephew's graduation from university in October. Our parents have promised that they'll be there for at least the day, and she tried to talk me into coming as well. At first, I told her that there's no way I could take the time off, but now that I've thought about it, I believe that I might be able to do it. Would you like to go with me? I'm sure that Milele and Yusufu wouldn't mind, and they have room to put us up. The family portion of the trip will probably be very brief since it's during Mother's busy season, and we would have plenty of time to explore London. What do you think?"

"I would find that quite agreeable. It has been many years since I have been to London, and I would welcome the opportunity to meet your family."

"Wonderful! I'll see what I can do about arranging leave, and I'll call you when I know more details. Oh, I hope it works out. It's been years since I've been to London, too, and I'd love to explore the museums and parks with you."

She smiled and discreetly reached for his hand. Just as she brushed her fingers against his, however, Saavik ran back to join them, and Uhura jerked her hand away as if she had been burned.

"Spock! Nyota! The market square is just up there, but I want to go to the stall with the nice lady who always gives me a strawberry. It is on the other side of the square."

"That is acceptable, Saavikam. We will depend upon you to show us the way."

"I will do that!" She bounded ahead again.

Amused at Uhura's reaction, Spock looked at her. She shook her head.

"I don't know how she does it."

"Does what?" he asked.

"Catches us every time we even think about doing something the least bit intimate."

"Ah. Were we thinking about doing something intimate just then?"

She grinned. "I think about doing something intimate all the time, but that's beside the point. What I meant was that I was going to sneak a quick finger touch, and she caught me. My sister used to joke about her son's 'intimacy sensors' when he was little. Every time she and Yusufu even thought about sex, their son would interrupt. I used to laugh it off and tell her that when you're, uh, going at it like rabbits, the odds are that you're going to get caught now and then. Now, though, I think that she might have been on to something. That girl has intimacy sensors."

"You understand, of course, that the notion is quite illogical."

He studied Saavik for a moment. She stood at the edge of the market area with her hands on her hips.

Frowning, she said, "Hurry up! We are almost there!"

Before they reached her, he bent close to Uhura and added, "But we will have to ensure that she is otherwise occupied the next time we contemplate intimacy."

Uhura laughed and nodded emphatically, then turned her attention to Saavik.

"Okay, Saavik, let's go find those strawberries!"

End chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 7

Absently placing her empty duffel on the bed, Uhura picked up Saavik's drawing and studied it again. Saavik really had some artistic talent. The command chair was very recognizable, as were the science station to the left and the communications station behind. And no one could mistake the three people standing in the middle: Spock on the left with his hands behind his back, Uhura on the right, her skin brown and her figure rather more ample than she would have liked, and a grown-up version of Saavik in between them. And the best part was their insignia-Saavik had made herself a captain, and had given both Spock and Uhura admiral pips.

Careful not to crease the fragile piece of paper, Uhura placed it against the hard bottom of the duffel bag, then wandered over to the closet and retrieved everything but her uniform. She could go ahead and pack all of this. It was so warm tonight that she knew she wouldn't need anything more than the lightweight sundress she already had on. In the morning, she could stuff the dress in a pocket and put her toiletries and nightclothes on top.

Just as she tossed everything on the bed, she looked up to see that Spock was at her door. She picked up a shirt and began to fold it.

"Come on in. Are you already packed?"

"Yes, I am. Would you care to walk with me?"

She smiled and gathered everything back up in her arms. Dumping it on a chair, she said, "Sure! This can wait. A leisurely walk would be nice, especially after that huge supper. Where did you want to go?"

They walked down the steps together.

"I wish to retrace the route we took during our first evening here."

"Toward the fields? That sounds good. Have you told Margaret that we're going?"

"No. She is in the kitchen, so we can inform her on our way out."

When they reached the bottom of the steps and entered the kitchen, Margaret turned from where she was stacking plates onto a shelf.

"Did I just hear my name?"

Spock nodded. "We wished to tell you that we are going for a walk."

"All right! Have a good time."

They continued toward the door, but just as he motioned for Uhura to precede him, they heard a flurry of footsteps on the stairs and Saavik burst into the kitchen.

"You are going for a walk? May I go with you?"

Uhura quickly met Spock's eyes and saw a reflection of her own dismay. A walk with just the two of them would be perfect, but how could they say no to Saavik? Before either of them had a chance to respond, Margaret closed the dishcleaner and faced Saavik.

"Not now, young lady," she said firmly. "You, Rosa, and Elizabeth need to put away the art supplies you scattered all over the floor in the living room, and then you need to get ready for bed. You've been staying up much too late recently, but vacation is almost over so I expect you to get back onto a decent schedule."

Saavik's shoulders slumped. "But Margaret-"

"No 'buts.' Go on, and tell Elizabeth and Rosa to help."

"Very well."

Saavik stomped out of the kitchen, and before the little girl could find an excuse to delay her chores, Uhura quickly grasped Spock's arm and turned him toward the door. At the last moment she glanced over her shoulder and mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Margaret, who winked and returned to her dishes. The two of them stepped out of the house and into the warm night air, and they were free! Alone! She couldn't believe it.

She laughed as they walked to the sidewalk. "What did I tell you? Intimacy sensors!"

"That was quite uncanny. I had assumed that she was occupied in Rosa's bedroom, but somehow she understood that we were leaving without her."

"Thank goodness Margaret stepped in. By the way, I should probably tell you that she knows about us. She's not very happy with you for keeping secrets from her."

Spock sighed. "Perhaps I should have told her, but I chose to avoid the intrusive questioning that I am certain would have followed such a revelation."

"She was actually very good. We hardly talked about it. She just asked if we were involved, and I didn't say no. I could tell that she was curious about the details, but she didn't ask any more questions."

He raised both eyebrows. "She did not even inquire as to whether we were physically intimate?"

"Nope, not a word."

"I find that rather surprising. Evidently she has developed self-restraint as well as tact in recent years. I must commend her."

Uhura looked over at Spock. Watching his reaction, she said, "You know, Saavik's getting big enough to understand about us. What do you think about telling _her_?"

When he frowned and didn't answer immediately, she knew what he would say before he even said it.

"I am not yet prepared to tell her, Nyota. She is still rather naïve about the nuances of an intimate relationship, and I am unconvinced that she _would_ understand."

"Spock, I don't agree, but I'm not going to argue about it. It's your decision. I just don't think you're giving her enough credit, and I'm afraid she's going to be hurt if she realizes that we had the chance to share it with her but didn't."

"Will you be satisfied if I say that I shall consider it?"

"Yes, that would make me feel better."

They lapsed into silence, and Uhura looked up at the sky. They had reached the edge of town, and the lack of street lights allowed the stars and the moon to stand out in sharp relief against the black sky. A mild wind rippled the gauzy fabric of her skirt and caressed her bare arms, and she inhaled the fresh scent of grass, dirt, and clear night air. And was that a hint of honeysuckle? The colonists had brought many Terran plants that were compatible with the native flora, and it very well could be honeysuckle. She knew that if she were a colonist, that would be one of the first things she'd want to plant.

"Another beautiful night. I would have enjoyed myself even if it had poured rain every day, but this weather has made my visit all that much more perfect. Now maybe I won't have cabin fever anymore when I go back to the ship."

"It was my belief that you quite liked your life on the Lexington."

"Oh, I do! Very much. I was just ready to get away for a few days, that's all. Really, I couldn't ask for a more challenging job and a nicer group of people, even if it isn't the Enterprise."

"I have not yet had a chance to ask you how the mapping of Sector Six is progressing. Have you found anything of interest there?"

"Not really. We found a star system with a class M planet shortly before I left to come here, but it turned out to be unremarkable. That's all right with me, though. It might not be the most exciting assignment we could have, but the sheer uneventfulness has allowed me to take time to get to know everyone and to see where I fit in."

"Personally, I have always found that a bigger challenge than understanding my duties, but I am certain that 'fitting in' has never been a problem for you."

"Oh, I don't know. There's always a certain amount of adjustment, no matter how comfortable you are around new people. It's easy to accidentally step on someone's toes, or to upset the status quo. I think that I've managed to avoid those pitfalls, though, and make some good friends."

"Have you organized a poker group yet?"

She laughed. "You know me too well! Yes, I've met a few people who like to play cards, and we've started getting together in the evenings sometimes. They're a fun bunch-Carolyn Schmidt, the ship surgeon, Anton Koseniak, the ship historian, Joshua Hoagland, the assistant engineer, and Ravi Srikanta, the chief of the medical lab."

"I have met Mr. Koseniak and Dr. Schmidt, but I am unfamiliar with the others."

"Joshua is Anton's partner, and Ravi is the ringleader of the group. I'll tell you, things are never dull with him around. He said that he was going to learn how to play 'Beyond Antares' on the sitar while I was gone, and that when I got back I would have to sing it with him. He's probably the worst sitar player I've ever known, and I'm afraid to find out how badly he's butchered it."

"It sounds as if you have made some very good friends. I am pleased to discover that you enjoy your off-duty hours."

Deliberately coy, she looked up at him. "So, tell me what your life has been like recently. How have you filled up those long, long hours that we used to spend together?"

Studying the sky, he said, "Primarily, I have worked, read, researched, meditated, eaten, exercised, practiced the harp, played chess with Admiral Kirk, and slept. My routine is much as it was before we began seeing one another."

They stepped off the end of the sidewalk and walked quietly for a few moments. "You know," she said softly, "some nights I just sit in a dark room, listening to music and thinking of you."

Nodding, he continued to look up at the sky, and she sighed softly. Well, she hadn't expected him to tell her that he was pining away for her, but he could at least say that he thought of her every now and then. Of course she knew that he did, but it still would have been nice to actually hear the words.

She decided that she wanted to feel the warm dust between her toes, so she kicked off her sandals and stopped to pick them up. Spock, however, kept going for several steps before he finally turned around to wait, and when they resumed walking, she noticed that he was moving a little faster than before.

Intentionally dawdling, she asked, "Are you in a hurry?"

"Yes, actually, I am."

She laughed when he reached for her hand and began to tow her behind him. "What's up? Where are we going?"

"You will see."

Hurrying to stay with him, she shook her head at his unusual behavior. He obviously wanted to show her something, but what could it be? She didn't say anything else as she concentrated on keeping up. With those long legs, he could cover ground much faster than she could, and she had to trot to avoid being left behind.

They stopped abruptly in the middle of the road. Out of breath, she looked around, but she couldn't see anything more than a field of corn on one side and a grassy field surrounded by trees on the other.

"So what's here?"

"This."

Moving to the side of the road, he pushed a thicket of brambles out of the way and ushered her past him. She was still barefoot, so she had to be careful where she stepped, but eventually they were both standing in the grassy field with a thick row of trees and vines between them and the road. They were completely secluded, and she began to understand what he had in mind.

Moving close, he slipped the strap of her sundress off her shoulder and touched his lips to the skin beneath. "I noticed this small uncultivated field when we walked past on our first night here," he murmured.

She shivered. "And you've been plotting to bring me out here and seduce me ever since?"

"No, I have only been plotting to bring you out here and seduce you for the past twenty-one point four minutes. At first, I did not give it a second thought."

"Mmmm..." She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, leaning against him in complete surrender. He slid one strong hand to the small of her back, and she dropped her shoes when he brushed two fingers of his other hand down her arm, entwining her own fingers before disengaging to caress her wrist and palm. She felt his hardness against her abdomen, and she used her free hand to pull his head against the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Suddenly aggressive, he bit her neck and pulled her tight, one hand still on her back but the other moving lower, and the next thing she knew he had lifted the hem of her long, flowing skirt and pushed his hand down into her underpants, gripping her buttock tightly and grinding her against him. She gasped, running her fingers into his hair so that she could pull his head to her own, and when their mouths came together, she became aware from the faint taste of coppery blood that she had caught his lip against his teeth. Neither of them reacted, though, so hungry for one another that they did not want to ease away for even an instant.

His fingers strayed further, and she cried out against his mouth almost immediately, her orgasm intense and unexpected but over before it even began, and suddenly she wasn't content with only his mouth and his fingers; she wanted all of him. Moving away, she slid her underpants down to her ankles and stepped out of them, then knelt in the tender grass and pulled him down beside her.

They were both on their knees, separated by only ten or fifteen centimeters. She could see the rise and fall of his chest in the soft moonlight, and his eyes were huge and dark. The wind ruffled his hair as they gazed at one another.

Carefully, wanting to slow their pace, she opened his pants and slid her fingers around his erection, grasping it lightly and easing it from the confines of his clothing. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly when she touched him, but she did not linger, releasing him so that she could stretch out on her back, her knees apart and the loose fabric of her skirt draped between.

She held out her arms in invitation. Running his hands up her legs, he lifted her skirt and gently lowered himself until his weight was heavy on her torso. He did not make any attempt to enter her at first, instead simply studying her face, but soon he lifted his hand to her temple, and she felt him slip into her mind. His thoughts were ordered, familiar, calm yet urgent, and hot, so hot... She reached down and guided him to her, and soon they were moving together in rhythm, the folds of his loose jacket brushing against the bare skin of her thighs, his breath hot against her cheek and loud in her ear.

She closed her eyes, savoring this, wanting it to last, but they had been apart too long, and the sensations built quickly. Their fire, the flame that linked them, had become dim during their separation, but now it leapt into a tremendous conflagration, and she knew they could not contain it. Her fingers tightened on his back, and she understood that he was right on the edge but trying for her sake to delay his release.

She chanted, "Not yet, not yet, not yet."

He groaned in her ear, and the sound of his voice caused the tension to explode from deep inside her. She cried out, clutching his back and hanging on to him as if she could hold him next to her forever. His heat, his hand on her face, and his hardness in her body were incredible, and she didn't know how she could bear to be without this once again.

Finally, she opened her eyes so that she could drink in the sight of his dark abandonment. His expression was intense-his eyes were tightly shut and his brows were pulled together, and she marveled over the passion that was so evident on those normally controlled features. Suddenly, he threw his head back, his body rigid and his teeth clenched, and she wrapped her legs tighter around him while he emptied himself into her body.

He did not open his eyes immediately, instead slumping with his face against her neck. She felt their breathing slow as she looked beyond him to the stars and stroked his hair, and she knew that they would have to find a way to make love under a blanket of stars again someday.

After what seemed an eternity, he raised himself on his elbows and placed his long hands on either side of her face.

"Ah, Nyota. I have missed you so. Your smile, your touch, your easy manner-indeed, one so often does not appreciate what one has until it is gone."

She searched his eyes. Her voice suddenly shaky, she murmured, "You said yourself that we wouldn't really be separated as long as the fire burned within us."

Brushing a few stray hairs away from her forehead, he whispered, "I was wrong."

...

Lingering outside her room, she touched her fingers briefly to his before she carefully opened the door. Behind her, she heard him do the same. Her room was dark, and when the door slid shut she had to walk with her arms extended until she encountered the bathroom door. She could hear Saavik's light snores coming from the vicinity of the bed, and she held her breath until she found the door control.

She slipped into the bathroom and turned on the light. Sitting at the vanity, she rested her elbows on the countertop and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. The red mark on her neck had faded to the point that no one else would know it was there, and her lips weren't so bruised and swollen that a little lipstick wouldn't hide the evidence of their outdoor encounter.

She sighed, thinking again of their incredible evening. When they had finally risen from the meadow and put themselves back in order, they had continued down the dusty road in the leisurely manner she'd intended from the beginning. They had talked about everything and nothing-their recent assignments, their friends, their plans for next week and next month and next year, the brightness of the moon and the abundance of the greenery-until they reluctantly decided that they had gone far enough and turned back toward home. Just before they crossed the last rise that would bring them back in sight of the houses, he had held her in his arms and kissed her tenderly while the wind murmured all around them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft tapping at the door. Smiling, she said, "Come."

The door slid open, and Saavik stood there, her hair mussed and her eyes sleepy.

"Hello, honey. Did I wake you?"

"I was not asleep. I was waiting for you to come home."

Uhura scooted over on the small bench to make room. "So, what will you do tomorrow while I'm on my way back to the Lexington?"

Saavik squeezed into the space next to her. "Margaret said that we have let too many weeds grow in the garden, so Elizabeth and I are going to fix that. Later, I think that I will ask Margaret if she will take us to the market so we can get some more strawberries."

"That sounds like a good plan, and now I'll know exactly how to imagine you while I'm on my long trip. Will you make another drawing for me?"

"Yes! This time, I will draw you and me and Spock when we are in a landing party on a planet somewhere."

"I expect you to show it to me next time I see you."

"I will."

Uhura gave Saavik a quick pat on the knee. "Now it's time for you to go back to bed so that I can get undressed."

"Very well."

Saavik stood, then frowned and reached toward the back of Uhura's head. When she pulled her hand away, she had a big piece of grass in her fingers.

"Nyota? You have grass in your hair."

Trying not to blush, Uhura smiled and said, "Oh, really? Imagine that. I wonder where that came from. Well, goodnight honey. I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Goodnight, Nyota."

When Saavik had disappeared back into the bedroom, Uhura quickly ran her fingers through her hair but couldn't find any more grass. She shook her head.

Saavik's intimacy sensors didn't miss a thing.

End chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

What the West Wind Saw, chapter 8

"Now boarding shuttle 526 to Antares transfer station. All passengers please report to departure area 12."

Spock stood and lifted Uhura's duffel. "It would appear that your shuttle is going to depart before mine."

She started walking slowly toward the door that would take them outside. "I hope your shuttle isn't delayed too much longer. Are you in any danger of missing your connection?"

"Unless it is delayed another twenty-one minutes, I should not encounter any difficulty."

Behind them, Saavik said, "Look at that large shuttle! How many passengers does it hold, Spock?"

"I am unfamiliar with the design, Saavikam, but I would estimate that it carries approximately sixty passengers. In addition, it would require a crew complement of approximately five."

"Can we stay until it departs, Margaret?"

Margaret, who also trailed behind, said, "I don't know, Saavik. It looks like they're doing some sort of maintenance. It may take a while before it's ready to go, and I don't want to leave Rosa and Elizabeth alone any longer than we have to."

"But they will be fine! Observing the maintenance and pre-flight preparations will be highly educational."

Spock met Uhura's eyes. He, himself, had often persuaded Saavik to participate in various unexciting activities by informing her that they would be educational.

As they exited the terminal and approached the waiting area for departure area twelve, he saw that a line had already formed by the door to the shuttle. Uhura stopped and turned toward their small group.

"Thank you for everything, Margaret. I had a wonderful time."

Margaret stepped forward and hugged her. "We loved having you. Come back anytime."

Uhura then bent to hug Saavik. "Goodbye, honey. I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye, Nyota!" Able to endure the hug for only an instant, Saavik slipped out of Uhura's arms. "If you find any pretty rocks, will you save them for the treehouse?"

"Absolutely."

Spock waited silently as Uhura said her goodbyes and finally turned to face him. The wind had picked up this morning, and she gripped Saavik's latest drawing, a farewell gift, tightly in her hand so that the breeze would not lift it from her fingers. As they gazed at one another, a cloud crept across the sky and the sunlight dimmed.

He came to a decision. Slowly lifting his hand, he extended two fingers and held them in her direction.

"Farewell, Nyota."

She looked from his face to his hand, then back to his face again. He nodded, so she smiled brilliantly and pressed her fingers to his.

"Goodbye, Spock."

The line had dwindled to only a single person, and just as the sun burst back through the clouds, she had to pull her hand away, take her duffel from him, and rush toward the shuttle. She looked back over her shoulder and waved, squinting in the sudden brightness.

"Thanks again for everything, Margaret! I'll see you all soon!"

Spock stepped back to stand next to Margaret and Saavik, and he could see from the corner of his vision the delighted grin on Margaret's face. He glanced briefly at Saavik. Her eyes big, she watched him in open-mouthed wonder.

"Wave goodbye to Nyota, Saavikam."

She bit her lip and looked back toward Uhura. "Goodbye, Nyota! Goodbye! Have a good trip!"

Uhura gave them a final, quick wave, and ran up the steps into the shuttle. A moment later the steps were retracted, and he followed the shuttle with his eyes as it lifted from the ground and vanished into a cloud. He was quiet for a moment before turning toward the others.

"Now, Saavikam, do you wish to observe the activities surrounding the large shuttle?"

"Yes! Where do you think it is going to go?"

"I do not know, but that should be relatively easy to determine."

As he herded her back into the building, he glanced over her head and met Margaret's eyes.

"Next time you visit, can I put you both in the guest room?" she asked.

He sighed and raised an eyebrow. Some things would never change.

End part one of Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite

The next story in this series is The Isle of Joy


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